[IDEVAW 2021: STATEMENT OF THE UPD UNIVERSITY FRESHIE COUNCIL]

ABANTE BABAE, KARAPATAN IPAGLABAN!

TW: GENDER VIOLENCE, HARASSMENT, AND SEXIST REMARKS

In society, prejudice and discrimination have become part of every woman’s daily struggle, manifested in various ways such as street harassment, institutional oppression, and wage disparities. There has long been a demand for equal opportunities, reproductive rights, and an end to the never-ending cycle of domestic abuse. The fight against the continuous oppression of women is the fight of all Iskolars ng Bayan, as it is deeply entrenched in our patriarchal and macho-feudal society; and so today, the 25th of November, the UP Diliman University Freshie Council is one with the commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (IDEVAW) and unites with the campaign and collective struggle to end all forms of VAW.

In the Philippines, one in four women have experienced physical, emotional, or sexual violence from their partner [1] and under the Covid-19 pandemic, VAW has only continued to increase by up to 4 times its number [2]. It is even more alarming that these figures only represent the reported cases, as only 1 in 3 women who experience abuse or violence seek help [1].

It is with no doubt that the true perpetrators of such forms of violence are not the women afraid to voice out their experiences, but the enablers of sexism and patriarchy in our already macho-feudal society. Our very own president is a living embodiment of misogyny & objectification, infamous for his objectifying jokes that encourage harassment and sexual abuse, with some notable lines being “Rape is pardonable for all cadet officers.” (2019 PMA Graduation ceremony), “Shoot their vaginas.” (2018 speech to former communist soldiers), and [on presidency] “hindi ito pambabae,” just earlier this year [3]. Only recently, his spiritual adviser, Apollo Quiboloy was also charged with sexual offenses and was found to have committed unreported cases of harassment even before these allegations [4], further enforcing the macho-feudal rule he condones with his administration and maintains in this country.

We call for these vile, so-called “leaders” and public figures to be held accountable for their actions and remarks, and for all enablers, oppressors, and abusers to receive the proper rule of law for their crimes against women. There is no place in power for those who take misogyny as a joke, and this form of sexism will never be seen as a laughing matter, for they are the very anchors that maintain the patriarchal status quo firmly in place and allow a macho-feudal society to prevail.

The UP Diliman University Freshie Council, together with the Freshies, Shiftees, and Transferees ng Bayan, stand in solidarity with Iskas and with all women at home and abroad in the fight against systemic oppression, harassment, and all forms of violence against women. As we uphold the Safe Spaces Act and lobby for other policies and measures against VAW, we also recognize the need for a more equitable community that begins with abolishing its root cause: the patriarchal and macho-feudal systems in society. This International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women 2021, we continue to fight alongside women amidst all these atrocities, crimes, and violations, and further amplify the calls for their justice, lawful protection, and the end of violence against women. The end of VAW is long overdue, and so we must tirelessly defend, uphold, and empower the rights of all women.

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References:

[1] Philippine Statistics Authority | Republic of the Philippines. (2017). Philippine Statistics Authority. https://psa.gov.ph/infographics/subject-area/Gender

[2] United Nations Economic and Social Commissions for Asia and the Pacific (2020, November 23) The Covid-19 Pandemic and Violence Against Women in Asia and the Pacific. United Nations ESCAP

[3] Liotta, E. (2019, May 29). Ranking The Worst Sexist Comments President Duterte Has Made About Women. Vice. https://www.vice.com/.../duterte-sexist-comments-women...

[4] Rappler.com. (2021, November 21). Even before US sex charges, ugly tales about Quiboloy church persisted in Davao. Rappler. https://www.rappler.com/.../ugly-tales-about-apollo...